If you are concerned about the risk of getting prostate cancer, you may be interested in prostate cancer prevention.
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| Prostate cancer prevention: ways to reduce risk |
There is no sure way to prevent prostate cancer. The results of the studies often conflict with each other, and most studies are not designed to definitively prove whether something prevents prostate cancer. As a result, definitive ways of preventing prostate cancer have not emerged.
In general, doctors recommend that men with an average risk of getting prostate cancer make decisions that benefit their overall health if they are interested in prostate cancer prevention.
Choose a healthy diet
There is some evidence that choosing a healthy diet, low in fat and that includes many fruits and vegetables, can help reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, although the results of research are varied and this has not been specifically demonstrated.
If you want to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, you can try the following:
- Choose a low fat diet. Some of the foods that contain fats are meats, nuts, oils and dairy products, such as milk and cheese.
- In some studies, men who ate the most fat per day had a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. This does not prove that excess fat causes prostate cancer. Other studies have not found this association. But reducing the amount of fat you eat per day has other proven benefits, such as weight control and better heart health.
- To reduce the amount of fat you eat per day, limit fatty foods or choose low-fat varieties. For example, reduce the amount of fat you add to food when cooking, select leaner cuts of meat and choose low-fat or low-fat dairy.
- Increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day. Fruits and vegetables have many vitamins and nutrients that are believed to reduce the risk of developing prostate cancer, although research has not shown that any particular nutrient guarantees risk reduction.
- Eating more fruits and vegetables also means you have less space for other foods, such as high fat foods.You might consider increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat each day by adding a portion of a fruit or vegetable to each meal. Consider eating fruits and vegetables as snacks.
- Reduce the amount of dairy you consume each day. In the studies, men who ate the most dairy products (such as milk, cheese and yogurt) per day had the highest risk of developing prostate cancer. But the results of the studies have been varied and it is believed that the risk associated with dairy consumption is low.
keep a healthy weight
Obese men (a body mass index or BMI of 30 or more) may have an increased risk of developing prostate cancer. If you are overweight or obese, try to lose weight. You can do this by reducing the number of calories you consume per day and increasing the amount of exercise you do.
If you have a healthy weight, dedicate yourself to maintaining it by exercising most days of the week and choosing a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Exercise most days of the week
Studies on exercise and the risk of prostate cancer have shown in general that men who exercise may have a reduced risk of prostate cancer.
Exercise has many other health benefits and can reduce your risk of getting heart disease and other types of cancer. Exercise can help you maintain weight or lose weight.
If you still do not exercise, schedule an appointment with your doctor to make sure you are fit to start. When you start exercising, do it slowly. Add physical activity to your day by parking the car farther from where you are going and try to climb the stairs instead of using the elevator.
Try to exercise 30 minutes on most days of the week.
Talk to your doctor about your risk.
Some men have a higher risk of prostate cancer. For those who have a very high risk of prostate cancer, there may be other options to reduce the risk, such as medications. If you think you have a high risk of prostate cancer, talk to your doctor.
